Layers

Dimension 363

Alison barreled down the street and yanked open the car door. She jumped into the passenger's seat and slammed the door shut, clutching her purse. "Hurry! Go!" She yanked out the seatbelt. "Drive, drive, drive, drive, drive!"

Chloe hit the gas pedal. Alison watched the back window as Walmart disappeared over the horizon. When they reached the highway, Alison turned and settled into the seat, adjusting her purse strap.

"So how many more jobs are you going to ditch until you just stay home?" Chloe said.

"None! That was the last one!"

"Sure, Allie."

Alison rolled her eyes and rummaged in her purse. She applied chapstick, then adjusted the rearview mirror. Rows of headlights glinted behind them like stars.

Dimension 367

Alyson barreled down the sidewalk and yanked open the car door. She jumped into the passenger's seat and slammed the door shut, clutching her purse. "Hurry! Go!" She yanked out the seatbelt. "Drive, drive, drive, drive, drive!"

Caelie hit the gas pedal. Alyson watched the back window as Grocer Land disappeared over the horizon. When they reached the highway, Alyson turned and settled into the seat, adjusting her sleeve.

"How many more jobs are you going to ditch until you just stay home?" Caelie said.

"None! That was the last one!"

"Sure, Ally."

Alyson rolled her eyes and rummaged in her purse. She applied lip gloss, then adjusted the rearview mirror. The rising sun cast orange light across the empty road.

Dimension 478

Sjna darted out the entrance and yanked open the car door. She jumped into the backseat and slammed the door shut. "Hurry! Go!" She slapped the fuel button. "Get out of here!"

Lona turned the steering handle. Sjna watched the back window as Klun-Gorjac disappeared over the horizon. When they reached the highway, Sjna turned and settled into the seat.

"Did anyone see you?" Lona said.

"No. I was alone."

Sjna rummaged in her coat pocket. She held her Klun-Gorjac ID card up to the light, then tossed it out the window. The card caught the moonlight for a moment and fluttered away in the breeze.

Dimension 589

Sjn-ao pattered down the street and opened the vehicle's back door, then jumped into the compartment. "Hurry! Go!" She drummed her feathered hands on the back of the driver's seat.

Noa-lo turned the steering handle. Sjn-ao watched the back window as Uloa disappeared behind the trees. When they reached the highway, Sjn-ao turned and settled into the seat.

"Did they see you?" Noa-lo said.

"No."

Sjn-ao rummaged in her coat pocket. When she took out a ring, her claws reflected the dim sunlight. A magenta sun glowed in the rearview mirror.

Dimension 701

Ooia floated across the water and drifted into the back of the craft. When Eaya pressed a button, the glass door slid shut. "Kli!" Ooia trilled.

Eaya lifted the craft into the sky and veered over the trees. Ooia watched the mountains disappear in the distance. When cloud moisture soaked the outside of the craft, Ooia turned to the front.

"Klee-eek?" Eaya breathed.

"Io."

Ooia's glassy eyes watered. Mist hovered over her skin.

Dimension 809-C

9a slid her hands into the shimmering surface. Thousands of voices trilled around her. As she sank lower, colors separated into hundreds of individual strands.

"Tu?" 8a said.

"No."

Liquid covered 9a's body. She stretched out her arms as she floated. White spots blinked like stars.

Dimension 899

01000001 01110010 01100101 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101 00100000 01100001 01101100 01101111 01101110 01100101 00111111 00001010 01010000 01101100 01100101 01100001 01110011 01100101 00100000 01100001 01101110 01110011 01110111 01100101 01110010 00100000 01101101 01100101 00101110 00001010 01001110 01101111 00101110

Dimension 999-N

Alison hitched her bag over her shoulder and trudged over to the campfire. Chloe sat on a rock, her glasses reflecting the flames. The sky overhead was black with a few white pinpricks.

"Hey," Chloe said wearily.

"Hey."

Alison checked her watch. Underneath the cracked, grimy glass, the small hand ticked toward the three. She dropped her bag on the dirt beside Chloe and sat down. A light wind rustled Chloe's stringy hair around her face.

Empty silence hung in the air. Alison wiped her nose on the back of her sleeve. Moisture glinted in Chloe's eyes as she gazed into the fire. When she nudged the logs with a stick, they blackened and crumbled.

After a while, Chloe nudged Alison's shoulder and pointed upward. Alison's throat tightened. More pinpricks were appearing in the sky.

Alison's hand trembled as she grabbed Chloe's arm. Chloe sucked in her breath, then cried out and buried her face in Alison's shoulder. The pinpricks lurched forward into strings of light as the atmosphere split and a deafening roar sounded overhead.

Dimension 2

Hello...?

HELLO...?

Dimension 323

Chloe barreled down the street and yanked open the car door. She jumped into the passenger's seat and slammed the door shut, clutching her purse. "Hurry! Go!" She yanked out the seatbelt. "Drive, drive, drive, drive, drive!"

Alison hit the gas pedal. Chloe watched the back window as Walmart disappeared over the horizon. When they reached the highway, Chloe turned and settled into the seat, adjusting her purse strap.

"So how many more jobs are you going to ditch until you just stay home?" Alison said.

"None! That was the last one!"

"Sure, girl."

Chloe rolled her eyes and rummaged in her purse. She applied chapstick, then adjusted the rearview mirror. Rows of headlights glinted behind them like stars.